Update: Post 45 protest denied

Update: Post 45 protest denied

ASHEBORO — A protest filed Wednesday morning to American Legion officials by Randolph County Post 45 contending Southeast Regional champion Florida has an illegal player on its roster was denied late Wednesday.

Post 45 Athletic Director and head coach Ronnie Pugh filed a protest with North Carolina Area III Commissioner Jim Lippard Wednesday morning and Lippard said he forwarded the protest to national American Legion officials, the same people who ruled High Point Post 87 illegal because of an ineligible player during the North Carolina State Tournament.

In the protest submitted by Post 45, it states that Jacksonville Post 88 player Kyle Pausche, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, is ineligible because of a rule pertaining to 2013 high school graduates. According to the American legion rule book, any player who graduated in 2013 and is of legal age may play American Legion baseball in 2014, but only if that player is listed on that team’s roster from the 2013 season. Pausche, who was 4-0 on the mound and appeared in 24 games for Tallahassee Community College this past season, does not appear on the 2013 Jacksonville Post 88 roster.

The protest was denied about 10:10 p.m.

“The denial of the protest doesn’t surprise me,” Pugh said. “But I don’t appreciate being talked down or given an answer that is totally false and without facts.”

Pugh said the e-mail he received from American Legion Program Director Michael Buss says that in a phone call to the Florida State American legion Commander, Buss was told Pausche was legal. Buss never asked for proof and as far as Pugh knows, no document was presented to prove Pausche played American Legion baseball in 2013. Pugh said the e-mail states that the player played for an American Legion team in 2013 that folded and that player was allowed to participate for the next closest team. However, Pugh said he examined every American Legion roster from Florida for 2013 (about 15 teams) and Pausche’s name did not appear on any roster.

A copy of the e-mail sent Pugh will be made available Thursday morning.

Pugh, who became aware of the situation Tuesday when he received numerous text messages from a number of coaches, said he didn’t read those texts until Tuesday evening. He said it’s been very hectic since then.

“I had my phone with me, but I hadn’t looked at it and I kept getting texts,” Pugh said. “I don’t know when it started. Some of them were coming out of several teams in Florida. South Carolina and Shelby both called me. I didn’t even know about this until (Tuesday).”

Pugh said after obtaining information, he called Southeast Regional Tournament Director Skip Carnes and then called Jacksonville Post 88 coach Eric Owen. Pugh said he called Owen as a courtesy and said Owen could turn himself in and work things out or get the problem handled in some way.

“He didn’t give me any feeling that was going to happen and it just exploded on social media,” Pugh said. “I was getting texts from people all over. Part of it was because we hosted the tournament and part of it was because we were the runners-up. I was encouraged by a Legion official to file a protest.”

Lippard said he received Post 45’s protest Wednesday morning and forwarded it to national officials before lunchtime.

The American Legion World Series is scheduled to begin today in Shelby with Florida battling Michigan tonight at 8 p.m.

“This is not good for American Legion baseball,” Lippard said “The coach must have known he wasn’t rostered last year. This just isn’t good.”

Pugh agreed.

“No one wins in a situation like this,” Pugh said. “I have never liked handling something like this after the fact. I don’t have any problem if we don’t replace Florida, but Florida shouldn’t be playing in the World Series. In Legion baseball, anyone can make a mistake. There is a difference in making a mistake and what happened here. Shelby is sitting here fixing to put on the World Series and how does this affect that tournament? There’s way too many good things about American Legion baseball to allow a few adults who don’t follow the rules to screw it up for everyone.

“I don’t know how you make this right,” Pugh added. “The people in Florida at the state tournament are affected and people at the Southeast Regional are effected. A lot of good teams. This thing has grown so big in the last few days. It really doesn’t matter what happens. There are no winners here. It’s a bad situation brought on by bad decisions and it’s affected so many people.”